Other Fleet News (31/05/11)

• The Dinos full-rate construction continues with 3 Dinomark PTs and 3 Dinomark XTs being added to the fleet. It is expected that production may slow slightly over the rest of the year. One XT has returned to the civilian reserve.
• The Bolitic Confederacy has taken advantage of the lull in fighting to finish 1 Snarl and 2 Meltinans, though with the war of succession set to resume soon these might be the last new ships for awhile.
• Molab have received an Isometric-E and Putri 500 2 Pentekonter-Es as the Raegris continue full-rate export production.

HCS announce Gale Mobile

The HCS have announced that a road mobile version of its Gale-III ICBM (which also forms the booster stage of the CSM) has begun testing. Three test launches will take place over the next 12 months ahead of an expected entry into service late next year. Its not known how many Gale Mobiles (as it will be called according to sources) will be built and deployed or what they will be armed with though HCS watchers say it will be a mixture of nuclear and conventional warheads.

Gale Mobile is said to be a key part of the HCS' "Day 2 Fightback" capability which is the ability to strike back against an invading force who have landed troops on Cloneworld. A road mobile version of CSM is also expected as the missile has the same dimensions as a normal Gale-III though the HCS have not mentioned any plans yet.

In other Gale news the HCS say by the end of 2111 40% of its silo ring around the Ailier Central District (which comprises the capital and HCS GHQ) will have converted from Gale-IIB to the new missile.

• The DDS' 5 Kingfisher 39B destroyers, Kalahati Tuuls returned to service to fill gaps during the war, will be kept in service until September when they will then be prepared for sale to the Aritans.
• The Dinos (on behalf of the DTA) have begun negotiations with the DDS for the purchase of no less than 12 Olympus-E carriers in a huge 8.1 billion zark deal. It is expected the Dinos will operate 7 themselves with the rest shared among other DTA nations who will operate the Ferret UCV.

167/3

Violence For The Sake Of It!
Malanson is confronted by SS-CINT.

Dr Forbidden : Announcing Project Trapezium

Dr Forbidden, head of DDS Research

I am very pleased to be able to announce Project Trapezium, the latest major project begun by DDS Research, which aims to completely revolutionize the way ships protect themselves from enemy fire.

Project Trapezium's genesis was in the technology debriefings we held during and after the ABBO War. During major incidents such as a ship being lost we would examine the available telemetry from the ship and other sources to see how the technology performed and if we could learn anything from it. It was during one of these debriefings when we examined how a ship's shields failed during an ABBO onslaught, its 360 CIWS continued to operate but eventually was overwhelmed and the ship was lost. A junior member of our party asked why couldn't the CIWS adapt to become a secondary set of shields or even the remaining shield power become a secondary CIWS. None of us could answer but all of us agreed it should happen!

So that is what Project Trapezium is, we are starting again with the idea of ship self-defence and looking how shields, CIWS and armour can work together instead of separately. EA-X 2.0 which aims to recycle absorbed enemy energy discharges for offensive or defensive purposes will also come under this project.

We have no time frame for Trapezium yet but i expect that it will begin to influence ship design in the latter part of this decade. We will look at new shield methods which can direct the bulk of defensive power where needed instead of uniformly around the ship (and hence most of the power is wasted). Maybe shields and CIWS will merge into a new technology, supported by EA-X and other armour systems. Its still early days of course but i expect Trapezium will change how the DDS defends itself quite radically in years to come.

Clones attack rebel base in Rendrial 4 system

The Clones have said they have successfully attacked a major base of anti-HCS rebels on a planet in the Rendrial 4 system, a minor part of CSE-E. The rebels are said to be past of an Eritran group who have attacked HCS bases and personnel on Austini 55, Woloron 12 and Rendrial 4 over the past couple of years.

The HCS have accused the Free Eritran States of covertly funding their ethnic cousins though its unknown if any proof into these accusations, which Molab has denied, were found.

Remedians sign launch order for Corkscrew 51A

The Remedians have signed the launch order for the next generation DDS medium combatant the Corkscrew 51A sloop (the ship's Type designation 51 also being unveiled finally after much speculation). The Remedians have ordered 5 of the ships for delivery from 2114, these are expected to be the first 5 built and will be delivered between 2114 and 2116.

They will replace the 6 Perimpaz 39A destroyers currently in service with the Remedian Customs Police Patrol (RCPP) though it is thought the Corkscrews will be a full part of the DDS fleet with the RCPP disbanding and being replaced by the Remedian Defence Squadron of the DDS fleet.

DDS Commander AP is visiting the Remedians and was present at the contract signing, he said the Corkscrew would be a key part of the DDS fleet in the decades to come.

• AP also gave the strongest indication yet that the DDS will be getting a new cruiser after all despite the various cancelled projects like Chrysalis. He said that the Type 1X Project was exactly what the DDS needs to build and said he would be presented with a full business case soon by the DDS fleet. He also said that construction of the prototype could begin as early as next year.

Current deployments (28/05/11)

Rapid Reaction Force

D122 Illustrious (flag)
D102 Jaguar
D154 Evolution
F163 Sea Of Fertility

Rim Worlds Squadron

R107 Archer (flag)
D166 Vega
F105 Jurassic
F177 Fury
A151 Gasoline
(R151 Olympus Mons)

Remedian Border Protection Force

R109 Rifleman (flag)
F175 Firebrand
A142 Stratotanker
+Remedian Police Fleet

Force Starbot

C108 Europa (flag)
D161 Solaris
F151 North Sea
+ Starbotian fleet

Ships returning from deployment

R108 Yeoman
K104 Pompey
K113 Sulla
A157 Methane

Olympus has first deployment

The leadship (and so far only) Olympus 23A carrier R151 Olympus Mons is to begin its first deployment as it takes over the leadership of the Rim Worlds Squadron from R107 Archer at the weekend. A DDS source said this was not intended to be a usual job for the Olympus carriers but the DDS wanted to see how it did in the flagship role as it would be likely the ships would be called upon to deputise for Missileers in future.

The DDS are said to be very happy with the first Olympus ship which is based on the very successful River platform. Its not known how many Ferret UCVs the Olympus will be deploying.

New DDS Army shuffles the pack

The New DDS Army has carried out its expected "shuffle" with units in the 1st Division finally rotated to the 3rd for rebuilding while units in the 2nd Division take their place. However the DDS have also taken the opportunity to shrink the 1st Division which is kept on full readiness in order to cut costs. The 1st Division now consists of 1 armoured brigades, 4 light brigades and a fire support battalion. However a heavy infantry brigade will join the 1st Division when it has reaches operational status. The smaller 1st Division plus some other cost savings will save the DDS some 84 million zarks a year.

Much of the 1st Division will take part in Ground Shock 2111, the latest edition of the annual DDS amphibious exercise. Unlike previous years editions this time the DDS Army has been bloodied in actual combat and Army chief Zeppelin said he will be interested to see how well his men perform. Ground Shock has been scheduled for mid-July though the date could change depending on the Porquatians and Starbotians who have been invited to take part.

167/2

Dark Wave
Two missions are carried out simultaneously on a Tarbot world.

Wayne King-Meiouf : Reasons to be cheerful

Professor Wayne King-Meiouf of the University of Proxima

Recently there has been a lot of doom and gloom around the DDS as billions has been cut from the budget, including the latest air force cuts being announced just a few hours ago. However i think the negative feelings are misplaced, these reductions are a necessary evil in order to facilitate a much stronger DDS in the years to come.

First of all some background, why exactly has the DDS budget got so out of control. The war is always blamed but actually the main cause of budget problems are the various big spaceship projects of the mid-2100s. Projects like the Panther, Missileer and Solaris III costs billions of zarks and in order to afford these big ticket projects the DDS decided to delay spending in other areas especially in infrastructure upgrades.

The simple fact is the rest of the DDS was neglected for awhile and some key parts of the infrastructure began to crumble, most notably DDS Communications. A little known memo from 2107 warns that unless a big investment is made in rebuilding the DDS communications network soon then it may collapse by 2109. Luckily the DDS heeded that warning in time and began a 12 year project to totally rebuild the network, a project that will eventually cost over 70 billion zarks. However affording this is proving problematical.

So the DDS are having to adjust in other areas but it should result in a much more even budget spread and should ensure sustainable spending. The DDS is moving away from being a full spectrum arm as was a common aim in the late 2100s and instead will concentrate on having a powerful space fleet with a small expeditionary army and air force. Priority spending over the next 10 years will be on the fleet and key infrastructure, the other arms being reduced but kept viable and well equipped.

So fear not for the future of the fleet. Corkscrew will happen as will this new cruiser actually, which i can exclusively reveal will (most likely) be officially named the Carbon project later in the year. Why am i so confident? Well i have been a DDS watcher for years and i can tell when a ship project is going to succeed and fail. If the DDS have a clear need or mission for the ship (as they do for Carbon) then it will likely succeed. If instead they decide they need a ship then try and think up a mission for it (Chrysalis, LCX) then it usually fails.

In 10 years time a fleet of Carbons, Quasars, Panthers, Indies, Solaris, Isos and Corkscrews will rule space backed up with a new informational backbone able to cope with modern and projected future needs. It will happen, you just need to have some faith.

DDSAF announce big cuts

The DDSAF has outlined how it will save nearly 200 million zarks this year and 650 million zarks over the next 5 years as part of DDS cost cutting. Deputy Commander Shiner said the cuts were due to the large debts of the DDS incurred during the war and also because of the smaller army now needed and hence less air power needed to support it.

• 8 F-10S have been cut from the order meaning that the eventual fleet will number 100. The ground attack SEP-B is safe but will be an upgrade of part of the fleet not new build.
• The F-10A fleet will be reduced to 35 with 15 aircraft put in reserve. The AEA upgrade has been cancelled.
• LLAD has been cut by half, though this had already been announced.
• The MQ-16C Attack Osprey order has been cut by 10. 
• The Black Magic project for a supersonic stealth attack drone has been cancelled though had been at a very early stage.
• A-85, NDAA, K-18D and Ferret numbers and orders are unchanged.
• The HH-30 helicopter order has been cancelled and the ongoing A/C-26 Halogen order cut by 33 meaning the DDS will eventually have a fleet of 120.
• The C-485 transport order has been cut by 5, the DDS will eventually have 20.

As well as these equipment cuts 4 squadrons will be disbanded and an air base closed. Funding for a cruise missile is understood to have been transferred to the New DDS Army.

AP begins visit to Remedia

DDS Commander AP has pledged to visit every planet in the DDS before the end of the Summer and has begun with a 5 day visit to the Remedian Belt. His ship, SS Cicero, will arrive at Remedia Prime tomorrow and he will hold talks with the Remedian government. The next day he will travel onto Loeuss to visit DDS troops on the planet. He will also visit Ailiari before heading back to Proxima 7 taking in Algol 7 on the way back.

It is thought the Remedians may sign a formal contract for Corkscrew sloops to replace their KT2s while AP is there.

• The DTA have sent a team to Za'Enyu to discuss the unaligned planet joining the Dino Trade Association. However Za'Enyu were rather cool on the matter when they were last approached late last year.
• The Panther 35A destroyer D101 Panther has left service for a few weeks to have a worm drive fitted. It will become the 6th ship in the fleet with such a drive. The W1A fitted is the drive which has been used for bench tests at DDS Research, a DDS built example is now being used for these tests indicating that DDS serial production is not far away.

The on-off new cruiser saga continues

Are the DDS going to have new cruisers to replace the soon to depart Pulsar 12As? After the cancellation of the Chrysalis project it seemed that there would none but a new project has been given some initial funding and may yet produce some kind of new cruiser. The new Type 1X Project will look into a "cost-effective yet capable" capital ship for the strike and patrol roles. Some have said this ship could be an analogue to the HCS Kelsan KS, a cheap yet capable ship as its focussed on one key role.

However DDS watchers say there have been a number of failed DDS new cruiser projects including the LCX which was also intended as a "cheap cruiser".

Current deployments (21/05/11)

After over a year's absence because of the war the current deployments are again being published by the DDS. One thing of note is the RRF or Rapid Reaction Force which is a new detachment situated at Solaris and able to deploy within 3 hours. Worm drive equipped ships in the RRF (of which there always has to be at least one) can thus reach 90% of DDS/UNP space within 36 hours.

Rapid Reaction Force

D122 Illustrious (flag)
D102 Jaguar
D154 Evolution
F163 Sea Of Fertility

Rim Worlds Squadron

R107 Archer (flag)
D166 Vega
F105 Jurassic
F177 Fury
A151 Gasoline

Remedian Border Protection Force

R109 Rifleman (flag)
F175 Firebrand
A142 Stratotanker
+Remedian Police Fleet

Force Starbot

C108 Europa (flag)
D161 Solaris
F151 North Sea
+ Starbotian fleet

Ships returning from deployment

R108 Yeoman
C103 South America
C109 Antarctic
F101 Cambrian
K104 Pompey
K113 Sulla
A157 Methane

167/1

All To The Winner
Windy reaches deep into the Tarbotian Empire.

DDS must save another 500 million zarks

Deputy Commander and Finance Office Shiner has told the DDS that another half a billion zarks must be saved from the DDS budget this year as the battle to get the DDS' finances back under control after the war continues. Shiner said the money would be saved through a combination of reduced procurement, reduced running costs and income from selling surplus equipment.

The air force is set to bear the brunt of the savings with the LLAD programme already cut in half (the decision being made early to prevent the order of long-lead items). F-10S production is also likely to be cut along with some other pending programmes. The DDSAF will report on how they will cut 190 million zarks next week.

Money will also be saved by reducing the number of exercises the Space Fleet carries out this year, two smaller exercises have already been cancelled though Ground Shock 2111 is set to continue as planned in the late Summer. The DDS will not reduce its Space Fleet any more though some planned updates may be postponed.

The New DDS Army will reduce its 1st Division by 1 brigade as part of its "shuffle" which will reduce costs with less troops on full readiness. Some infrastructure programmes are likely to be cut back or postponed though DDS Communications say all of its network upgrades should be carried out as planned.

TPM-2B enters production

The first major revision of the TPM-2, the TPM-2B, has entered production and should start arriving at DDS stores by early June. Production will also switch fully to the B at all production sites by mid-June. The B has a new motor which increases acceleration and top speed which will make the missile harder to evade or counter. The ECM suite has also been beefed up with improved protection against electronic defence systems.

The next version of the missile, the TPM-2C, is expected next year. One change on that missile will be a new warhead with a greater potential yield.

• Experiment 96X trials ship X151 Experiment has been withdrawn ahead of a sale to the Aritans. The other 96X ship still has some outstanding duties to perform but is expected to also be withdrawn by the end of June. SS Alpha Centauri, the 93X class trials ship, has completed its upgrade and will return to the fleet in a few weeks. As well as an upgrade the ex-Bolitic ship was given a full structural check and has now had its expected end of life date extended to 2117.
• The DDS have agreed to buy 20 more K-18D close support aircraft off the Dinos to build stocks. The DDS will also buy a stock of spare engines in a 61 million zark deal. The DDS have cut their order for the LLAD drone by 50 however. A DDSAF source said the Long Loiter Attack Drone was a fine asset but changing force requirements meant they didn't need quite so many.
• The 22nd and 23rd Light Brigades have both been declared fully operational by the New DDS Army, both have been assigned to the 3rd Division though it is expected there will be a re-organisation of the army soon where a lot of units get shuffled.

DDS conduct "disaster" test

The DDS has just concluded a 36 hour long "Level 1 Disaster Recovery Test" (known as a L1DRT to the acronym loving DDS). This simulated the sudden loss of GHQ on Proxima 7 and how the DDS would respond to a major threat (in this case a simulated alien attack on Solaris) without its main headquarters. The test was carried out at short notice with only a few senior figures knowing about the L1DRT beforehand.

Deputy Commander Shiner said the DDS had to be prepared for incidents of this type. "We have to know how the DDS will react if a major planet is knocked out and whether the DDS can continue as a functioning entity without it."

The DDS responded positively overall but there some notable difficulties and the assessors think that if the test had been for real Solaris would have suffered serious damage before a DDS fleet could have arrived though would not have been destroyed (which would likely mean game over for the DDS). A full report will be presented later in the year but already the need for more emergency communications and distributed command facilities has been highlighted.

• Legate Razorback has resigned as Senate Executive Officer after joining El Diablo in leaving Imperial Order. He has agreed to remain in role until Ronald assigns a successor. 

Dino View : The lost generation

Legate Dralson, ex-Dino Army and Security Council

Is the loss of El Diablo and Razorback to Imperial Order a blow? Well yes it is of course but the party can regenerate by elevating other talents can it not?

Actually that may prove more difficult than first appears. Most of what is often referred to as "The Golden Generation" who worked with Ronald to turn the Dinos into an interstellar power are already in positions of power (or dead). But thats fine, Ronald can just turn to the next generation.

Or can he? An unfortunate consequence of the Bolitic War is that the "next generation" bore the brunt of losses. Around 120 officers of Centurion First Class rank and above were killed in the war. It is precisely from these Centurions and Tribunes that Ronald would look for fresh talent.

There are still some stars around of course, Razorback will likely be a Consul one day but he has followed his friend El Diablo out of the party. Tribune Malanson is someone who is likely to be promoted soon. He has been in the 6th Legion since the "golden days" (though was one of the youngest in Ronald's elite unit). There are a few more who might be considered.

But the vast bulk of future Dino talent will have to come from later generations, Dinos who are now Decurions and Centurions. Its too early for them to reach the top but their time will come, and a lot sooner than many of them could have bargained for.

El Diablo leaves Imperial Order

In a shock move Senator El Diablo has left Imperial Order saying that he felt his political future would be best served outside of the old party. Over the last few years Diablo's relationship with Ronald and GBH has become "difficult" with Ronald often failing to hide his distain for the former Emperor. Diablo's wingman Razorback, the Senate's Executive Officer (though that role is at Ronald's discretion and may change) has also left IO. Ronald's son Stinkyson is also likely to join his friends. El Diablo will continue in his current role as Minister of Defence.

But join them where, that is the current big question. El Diablo said he did not leave to jump ship to another party but did not rule out joining or forming a new party. It is being speculated he might join the Liberal Party or even form a new party with Consul Zanus.

Territorial units to remain in HCS as part of "Local Forces"

The plans for the biggest reorganisation in HCS history continue to evolve, following a conference of senior HCS officers it has emerged that the spun-off "territorial" regiments who will take over the day-to-day patrolling and guarding of the empire will remain part of the HCS (though will continue to be funded and controlled directly by planatary governments). They will form HCS Local Forces working in conjunction with HCS Tactical Forces in the empire defence role.

Much of the HCSAF will also be spun off to Local Forces with counter insurgency and local transport/liaison units hived off from the rest of the air force which will largely join Tactical Forces. In an example presented to the conference the 239th COIN Squadron, an A-85 equipped unit on Taragargi would become a COIN squadron in the Taragargi Air Force which would be part of HCS Local Forces.

Another new supercommand is HCS Support Forces which would include the current Training Command, Systems Command, Medical Command and other pan-forces organisations. To maintain common training standards Local Forces troops would receive their initial training on Cloneworld alongside other HCS troops and would then receive continuous training enhancement via local provision inder the aegis of HCS Support Forces.

More conferences and debates are scheduled however so these plans for the HCS reorganisation are likely to continue to evolve.

UV166 : And I Can Take It

• Game Of Life - Windy sets off on his first mission as a free-agent.
• Lighter - The Triad hit the Bolitic home world.
• Maximum - There is a big shock in store for Windy.
• For The Flag - Ronald is kidnapped.
• Individuals & Faces - The HCS meet the Tarbotians.
• Investigation - Windy questions his Tarbotian guest.
• Justice - Malanson continues his search for the truth.

Justice
Malanson continues his search for the truth.

Minesweeper fleet to receive upgrade

With all 14 Pentekonter-M minesweepers now fitted with minesweeping equipment the DDS is to give the fleet a modest upgrade over the next few months. The DDS will begin a transition of the Clone designed SPECNES minesweeping suite to the DDS Minesweeping Suite (DMS). 4 ships will have their SPECNES replaced by DMS, it is expected the rest will be converted over the next couple of years.

All ships will also receive an improved databus, communications multiplexor and improvements to damage control systems including full IFG and Combat Wear 2.0 support. The ships will gain support for Canister-TPM2 and have some systems fitted to support Z6t cannons, though these will not be fitted until a later upgrade.

Sprite-NG unveiled by HCS

The new Sprite space UCV (called Sprite-NG to differentiate it from an earlier drone called Sprite) has been unveiled by the HCS ahead of an expected entry into service by the end of the year. DDS watchers are said to be surprised as Sprite-NG is very different to the older Sprite and DDS Ferret (which was heavily influenced by the earlier drone).

Sprite-NG is not merely a new version but a total redesign and in many ways it is more advanced than the Ferret. With a long tapered fuselage the Sprite-NG has a 140 degree angle of maneuver vector thrust at one end for extreme agility and a 250 degree angle of attack vector laser cannon at the other end. It can target and fire upon any nearby target within a few milliseconds no matter where it is in relation to the Sprite-NG.

Sprite-NG also has 2 fold out wings that can carry extra weapons and sensors. The wings fold up to reduce the space needed to store the drone.

To combat Sprite-NG the DDS may need to go back to drawing board with its Ferret developments.

Fleet News (11/05/11)

• The Type 37 Unification Programme has begun with Velocity 37A D151 Velocity leaving service. When it returns in just over a month it will be a Solaris 37C destroyer.
• D122 Illustrious is the second Independence 35B to enter service.
• A163 Ethylene is the latest Extender 73A oiler to enter service.
• A Provider 71A has been added to the 2111/12 Ship Building Plan following some budget adjustments.

Two types leave HCSAF service

The HCSAF has retired two types after many years of service. The last few O-43 Oscar liaison aircraft have been withdrawn bringing to an end the "suicide aircraft" era of the HCSAF. During the early Clone Wars the HCS fielded a large number of suicide attack aircraft but after the end of the First Clone War the HCSAF strove to become a much more professional organisation. Around a thousand ex-suicide aircraft were turned into O-43 Oscars for general observation and liaison aircraft though this number was quickly whittled down to a few hundred. As the aircraft have come to the end of their fatigue lives they have been replaced by O-47 Orions which are ex-A-85 COIN aircaft.

The C-360 Skyliner wide-body airlifter has also been withdrawn. This was one of the first commercial airliners developed by CAC and a military version has served since the early 2090s.

• Pulsar 12A cruiser C108 Europa has been diverted from the returning Atomic Fist deployment to perform a patrol circuit near Starbot and also conduct some training with the Starbotian fleet. All of the final movements of the Pulsar fleet are being tracked and eagerly followed by DDS enthusiasts.
• The DDS have confirmed the Clearwater project to produce a superluminal drone. There had been some confusion about the project in the light of the cancellation of the future cruiser and its component FLUSV UCV. Clearwater is considered a separate project and the aim is to produce an in-service UCV by 2116.

DDS cancel final 4 Falcons

The DDS have cancelled the 4 Falcon 47As they had on order with the Dinos after the Dinos could not commit to delivery before Q3 2112. To bulk up the 11 existing Falcons the 3 Pelican 47Ws will be merged as a class with the As though will retain their names and 47W type designation. In practice the 3 47Ws have been used for patrol duties like the Falcons so this isn't considered much of a stretch.

A DDS source has said this will save the DDS around 375 million zarks though Dino sources say 450 million. It may be the difference is being spent on spares and support assistance.

DDS strike against ABBOs on Delta 9

DDSAF A-85 COIN aircraft have attacked a group of ABBO stragglers on Delta 9, the scene of bitter land battles during the war. A group of around 20 ABBOs managed to avoid the fate of their fellow robots and recently began a string of attacks against Deltan settlers. Around 11 civilians being killed in these attacks.

DDS and Deltan troops managed to herd the ABBOs into a small valley where they were then pounded by 7 A-85s. All of the ABBOs were destroyed though sweeps are continuing in the area for any others.

Investigation
Windy questions his Tarbotian guest.

CSM Revision 1 begins production

The HCS have switched production of the Clone Space Missile to Revision 1 which has some early retargeting systems added as well as some other improvements. The first batch of CSM were limited to one target and retargeting was a lengthy process involving reprogramming and sensor recalibration. With Revision 1 up to 5 preset targets can be specified with switching between them able to be accomplished in minutes.

However its still thought the Clones have only reliable target information for DDS GHQ and Solaris HQ. HCS warships have been seen at a number of other locations in DDS space recently though so it is likely other targets will soon be added. As well as the position of a target on the target world the rotation of the planet has to be taken into account which makes the process of programming a new target very lengthy.

HCS looking into next upgrade for Molentic Tuuls

Now the Molentic Tuul M programme has been completed and the HCS Space Navy has a fleet of 1 type of Molentic Tuul instead of 3 the Clones are looking into the next upgrade for the type. Truth be told most of the MTM involved unifying the fleet though older MTAs got a useful upgrade. MTVs and MTGs only saw a modest improvement.

Planned for the middle part of this decade is a new upgrade currently known as MT15 though it will likely have a different name in practice. A new engine is currently being developed that could push top speed to 700c (the hull is already ready for this speed). The Clone version of the TPM (though more like the quad-phase missile) will also likely be fitted as it is due to enter service around 2114. CSM-S might also be an option to allow the MT15s to supplement the Kelsan KS bomber fleet.

It is likely that the forthcoming Sprite UCV (the HCS equivalent to the DDS/Dino Ferret) will figure highly in the upgrade too.

Tarbotians building massive bases on Kantalda

DDS sources (probably briefed by DDS intelligence as a "managed leak") are reporting the Tarbotians building several large bases on Kantalda, the capital of their new province annexed from former ABBO space. Two land bases and a large orbital dock are being built. The DDS estimate the Tarbotians could house over 300,000 troops and a fleet of 40 ships at these new facilities which are likely to be operational in about a year.

The DDS say this would be insufficient for an invasion force and it is thought the Tarbotians are not interested in further territorial gain in the short or medium terms. "The Tarbotians like to properly cement their presence in new territory before thinking about new gains." an unnamed source said, "New Tarbot province for example was established over 40 years ago according to Dino and Porquatian sources and its only now they moved further to take ABBO space."

As for the ABBOs the DDS are reporting detecting a small party of ABBOs on an asteroid near Porquat 640. The ABBOs were killed by Porquatian troops. It is likely there are more small ABBO units still in existence but without the central control of ABBO 01 they are fairly harmless.

• The Dinos and UNP  have announced plans to celebrate the 60th anniversary of first contact between the Dinos and Terrans which took place in June 2051 when a Dino fleet led by Ronald entered Terran space. Ronald will give a speech to the UNP on Terra and the Terran and Proxima 7 parliaments. A more lavish celebration was planned but recent tensions between the DDS and DTA have caused some plans like a joint military exercise to be shelved.

Individuals & Faces
The HCS meet the Tarbotians.

Atomic Fist ends for 2111

Atomic Fist 2111, the now annual ground attack exercise, has ended following two more operations involving the Porquatians working with the DDS, a key theme for this year's exercise. AF2111 has also been the swansong of the Pulsar 12A fleet which made what is likely to be its last operational deployment before retirement at the end of next month.

Most ships are now returning to Solaris for maintenance and reassignment. As might be expected the movements of the 3 remaining Pulsars are being avidly followed by many enthusiasts and interested observers. It is not expected they will move much beyond the DDS central core with only some training missions planned for the remaining few weeks of their service lives.

• A DDSAF C-440 has crashed on a transport flight on Proxima 5. All 5 crew were killed when the cargoplane flew into a mountain in heavy fog. It is thought navigational systems failed. The DDS have ordered checks of all other C-440s in the fleet.

HCS View : Territorials or not?

General Garendin, former commander of the HCS 140th Infantry Brigade and current adviser to the HCS Future Strategy Committee

As you may have read the HCS is considering some of the biggest organisational changes in its history. It is felt the time is right to make these changes while the geo-political situation, for us Clones at least, seems quite quiet.

I'm not going to touch on the bigger changes but instead talk about the Army changes announced earlier. Local defence would be hived off from the HCS and devolved to planetary governments to organise and fund. While each planet in the empire would retain HCS land forces the bulk of troops who would provide the day to day guard duties and patrols would be raised from locally organised "territorial" units.

(A note here, "territorial" is the name given in some public domain documents but i think these local troops would be a mixture of full-time and traditional territorial part-time soldiers.)

So for example a planet in the empire might have a brigade of HCS troops to provide the core of defence but most work would be done by 5 or 6 territorial brigades. These troops would be the sole responsibility of the planetary government though would work with the HCS when needed. The idea for this is to allow the HCS to be cut by about half and to become a much better equipped and better trained core.

Secondary troops and equipment would be hived off to provide the start point for these territorial units though over time they would be locally raised more and more and would be cascaded newer equipment from the HCS as the HCS itself renewed its armoury.

That is the plan then, i am in two minds about it. I can see the logic and the advantages but i am a "big HCS" man and would prefer things to remain as they are. Thats not because my old command, the 140th infantry brigade, would be one of the units likely to be cut by the way, its a category A unit.

A couple of times in HCS history it has been the sheer size of the HCS and the vast resources it can draw upon which has saved the empire from disaster. I refer of course to the Clone Wars and especially the early battles on Cloneworld and especially the Randalf 74 campaign. That was a massive defeat for the HCS which cost us over a million men. A lesser army would not have been able to survive such a defeat but the HCS was able to and regenerate. And a couple of years later when the DDS was currently indisposed the HCS was able to return to Randalf 74 and claim the planet after all.

Would a smaller HCS be able to do this again? I know the Clone Wars are now in the past but a major land war could easily happen again. In theory these territorial units can rejoin the HCS to provide the bulk but as time moves on i suspect the terrorial units would diverge from their ex-HCS roots to take a more policing role and would lose some of the combat skills needed to stand in for the HCS. This kind of training and capability would have to be mandated but i can easily see planets deciding to save some money in these areas...

Maybe i am just an old officer stuck in the past. Perhaps the age of major land battles is over. Certainly a smaller HCS would be a much more rapid and technologically advanced beast but no matter how well you plan for a war of a certain type they can so often morph into something else.

DDS complain to Dinos about Falcon deliveries

The DDS have lodged a formal complaint with the Dinos about delays in the outstanding Falcon 47A ships (Dinomark XTs) the DDS have on order. Since the war began Dino exports were on hold (though the DDS did the same so did not complain). However since the war the Dinos have reserved all production of XTs for their own fleet.

The DDS still have 4 Falcons on order but the Dinos have said that no export XTs will be produced until the second line is operational on Sirikwan, this will be early next year at least however. The first 4-5 units are likely to be reserved for DTA allies so the next DDS Falcon might not be produced until H2 2112. The DDS have said they may cancel their remaining Falcons if this delay is unavoidable. They have 11 in service plus 3 Pelican 47W special forces transports which are older XTs able to travel underwater.

The Dinos have offered to make the remaining Falcons worm drive capable (though the DDS would have to fit their own worm drives). Cancelling the order will save the DDS around 430 million zarks which may prove irrestistable to the DDS in their current budgetary strapped state.

• The Clone aircraft carrier CNS Cloneworld has returned to port after a week of intensive carrier operation in support of an anti-piracy offensive. The HCSN are very happy with how the crew performed in their first intensive operation though said there would be some lessons learned. It is reported there was a near miss during one F-40N landing where a SH-26 helicopter came close and nearly caused a crash. Training and operational management are currently being revised.

HCS considering total re-organisation?

The proposed changes to the HCS Army could just be part of the biggest re-organisation to the HCS since its inception. DDS sources have discovered that the HCS are planning to re-organise around 3 new arms which would have a mixture of land, air, sea and space assets depending on their role and needs.

• Tactical Forces would include the majority of army, air force and naval units and would be intended to defend HCS territory and provide forces to support and hold operations to gain new territory.
• Strategic Forces would include the Gale ICBMs, CSMs plus delivery systems including the Kelsan KS bombers and the future SSBNs. This arm's role would be to strike against an enemy outside of the HCS.
• Space Forces would include the bulk of the Space Navy but also space marines and other amphibious troops. This arm would be responsible for any space operations and empire logistics.

The HCS are still working on this proposal and if carried out it would be done simultaneously with the plan to reduce the size of the army and form local territorial units. These would remain outside of the HCS though would be available to use by the HCS if needs be. It is thought Oojok will be presented with the full plan sometime this month though a decision either way is not expected for a while.

HCS Fleet News (01/05/11)

• The HCS Space Navy have begun a huge upgrade programme which will eventually unify the Soulaki fleet to the latest SLBK standard. 3 Soulaki SLs have begun the upgrade which also includes a full refurbishment intended to keep the ships viable for another 10 years.
• 2 Cosmos CAs have been withdrawn from service, the HCS found problems with the ships earlier in the year and did originally intend to repair them but further problems found during another inspection has made the HCS decide it will be better to withdraw these 2 ships. New Cosmos CGs are due to enter service within the next couple of months in any case.
• In more upgrade and conversion news the Eastern side of the empire has decided to fund the conversion of 2 of the remaining Kalahati Tuul Bs to KTS standard. HCS-E is a much heavier user of the KTS and has decided it will be a good way to boost numbers cheaply. The conversions will take place over the next couple of months.

Other Fleet News (01/05/11)

• The Dinos have added 3 Dinomark PTs and 4 Dinomark XTs as their all-out production to rebuild their fleet continues. As already announced the Dinomark RS fleet is to receive worm drive and other updates. Some older PTs are also to get worm drive when they receive refits over the next couple of months.
• The Bolitic have managed to complete a Meltinan though the war of succession has robbed their shipyards of most of their labour.
• New Arit has accepted 3 more Kalahati Tuuls into service in a substantial boost to their fleet.